Top cover for kitchen ranges



June 20, 1939.

J. J. LAUTZ TOP COVER FOR KITCHEN RANGES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR; JIMESJOSEPH LAuTz A TTORNEY June 20, 1939. J J LAUTZ 2,163,258

' TOP COVER FOR KITCHEN RANGES Filed Dec. 23, 1936 2 Shets-Sheet FIG.6.

- I/vvav TOR; JAMES JosEPH LA UTZ M mm A770 NEY Patented June 20, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TOP COVER FOR KITCHEN RANGES James JosephLautz, OFallcn, 111., assignor to Eureka Products Corporation, OFallon, 111., a

corporation of Illinois Application December 23, 1936, Serial No. 117,324

7 Claims.

. which, when in its closed position, will completely enclose all manifolds, burners and gas cocks on the top and front of a gas range or the units and switches of an electric range, and which in its open position will be held securely in a partlyconcealed upright position on the rear of the range.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cover for the heating surface of a stove which, when the burners are to be used-may be quickly and conveniently swung toa position where it I will be completely out of the way.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a double articulated cover for ranges that will be counter-balanced in any of its positions, from closed to open, and when in its open position will be held against accidental falling to a closed position. The counter-balanced cover provides the additional advantage of ease in opening and closing.

A still further object is to provide a double pivoted cover for ranges, so controlled in all its movements that it will not rub or scrape the top sheet or other portions of the range, thereby eliminating any noise in operation or wear on the finish of the top sheet or the cover itself.

An additional object is to provide a burner cover, with the aforementioned advantages, having all of its operative parts and elements concealed from view, and one that will be rigid and substantial, made of few and simple parts that can be easily andeconomically manufactured.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be made apparent-in the following description, in which like'reference characters designate like parts in the several figures.

In the drawings one embodiment of the in vention is shown as applied to a gas range. In this showing Fig. 1 is a front view of a table top gas range, the cover for the burners being shown in its open-position.

Fig. 2 is a left end view of the range shown in Fig. l, the cover likewise being illustrated in its upright open position.

Fig. 3 is a fragmental left end view, enlarged, and mostly in section; of the range and showing the cover in its open position, a dotted closed position of the cover being also shown.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of certain hinged pivotal connections between the stove body and the cover, whichlatter is shown in its closed position, and also in a dotted open position.

Fig. 5 is a face View of the hinged pivotal connection, looking from the left of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a .plan view of the hinged pivotal connection of Fig. 4, taken on the section line 6-6 of Fig. 3 and, I

Fig. '7 is a detail view of one rear corner of the top cover, showing one pivotal connection to the top cover taken on line l--'l of Fig. 3. Referring initially to Figs. 1 and 2 and subsequently to the remaining figures, there is shown at A, the front and left end respectively of a table top gas range,

the top heating surface B and controls C, which I may be enclosed by a cover D. The cover Dis provided with a turned down front portion I, on which is located a handle 2 for raising and lowering the cover D. The turned down front flange l of the cover D lends rigidity to the flat cover sheet D, and at the same time covers or conceals the controls C at the front of the burner surface B, when the cover D is in its lowered or closed position. The cover D is also provided at its rear edge with a down turned flange 3, which will come to rest on stops 4, on the rear side ll of the range A, when the top cover D is completely open, as shown in Figs, 2 and 3. The stops t may be made of rubber to deaden the noise of operation.

Secured to the rear flange 3 by bolts or welding is a strap 5 (see Fig. '7) in the upturned ends 6 of which are formed holes 1, which support a cross rod 8, on which are pivotally connected the outer ends of two controllinglevers EE. These levers EE are located at each side of the cover D but within the side plate Ill of the range A, and are also pivotally supported adjacent their inner ends on a cross rod II], to which they are securely fixed, as by welding. The cross rod Ill is rotatively held in bearings H at each side of the pan slide 52. Secured to the innermost ends 99 of the levers EE are duplicate tension springs constantly exert tension on levers EE, which counter-balances exactly the weight of the cover D, and will hold it in any desired position, witha in its arc of travel.

It will. be... seen, .therefore, that: the cover D- in its open vertical position (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) will be entirely stable. Manual movement will close the cover D. This eliminates any possibility of the cover D accidentally falling from its open or any intermediate position. A second rotatable pivotal point for the cover D is provided in the articulated mechanism at F, the purpose of which is to support the cover D in spaced relationship with the remainder of the range A at all times, principally the burner surface or tray B, when the cover D is closed and the back or rear side I! of the range A, when the cover D is open. The cover D is provided, along its side edges, with a double inturned flange I8, forming a channel in which rotates a fibre roller I9 on a spindle 20. The spindle is fastened to one leaf of a common hinge joint 2|, the other leaf of which is welded to the upper end of the plate 22, the 7 lower end of the plate 22 in turn being welded to a leaf of a second common hinge 23, the other leaf of which is bolted'to the rear plate I! of the range A. Fastened to a strap 24, around the spindle 20, is a tension spring 25. The other end of the spring 25 is fastened to a hook on the plate 22, The plate 22 also has a second spring 26 coiled about a stud bolt 21, which extends inwardly from the plate 22, through a hole 28 in the rear sheet II. One end of the spring 26 bears against the inner face of the sheet I! and the gmrother against an adjusting nut 29 on the threaded stud bolt 21. As will be seen from Fig. 4, the spring 26 will hold the plate 22 yieldingly against the rear sheet I'I while the spring 25, will provide a tension on the swinging fibre roller I9.

53i When the cover D is closed over the top of the burner tray B, the roller I9 in the channel of the cover D, will assume the position to the right, as shown in Fig. 4, under tension of the spring 25, but the length of the hinge leaf 2| and strap %;21 is such that when in this position, the cover D is spaced away from the top sheet B. Likewise when cover D is lifted, the spring 25 will swing the roller I9 around the hinge joint 2|, holding the cover D well away from any portion of the range A, until the roller I9 reaches the other limit of its travel, still holding the cover D from swinging or rubbing any portion of the range. The roller I9 in the channel I8 provides a quiet, frictionless action to the movement of the cover D. In case the cover D were lifted in such a way that it was not following its normal arc of travel, the second spring held joint 23 would come into play by yielding to a point where the roller I9 was again placed in correct position to perform its function of guiding the cover D around the upper rear corner of the range, thereby preventing any binding of the rollers IS in the channels I8. It is to be understood that the form of invention, shown herein, and described, is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, but that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the sub-joined claims.

I claim: 1. A counter-balanced top cover for kitchen ranges, side levers, means connecting the rear corners of the cover with said side levers, said levers being connected together by a cross rod within the range, so that they move in unison and control both rearcorners of the said cover uniformly, said cross rod being carried in bearings positioned on the body of the range.

2. A top cover for kitchen ranges, the said top cover movable up and down from a, horizontal to a vertical position, the movement of said top cover controlled by levers, the end of the said levers connected to the rear of said cover, the intermediate part of said levers being positioned within the range and tied together by a cross rod, the said rod supported in bearings, so as to allow the said levers to swing up or down, the said cover connecting to said lever being movable at once from a horizontal position to a vertical position, the rear end of said cover following the are described by the rear end of said levers where connected to the rear of said cover.

3. A counter-balanced top cover for kitchen ranges, so formed as to completely conceal the heating units and control devices of the range in its horizontal position, and being controlled by side levers attached to the rear sides of said cover, said side levers having tension springs at their inner ends, and being connected by a cross pivoted rod having bearings, all positioned within the sides of the range, said cover being held in spaced relationship with the rest of the range in its movement from horizontal to vertical stopped position by pivoted rollers, said rollers riding in channels at each side of the cover and rotating on spindles secured on one leaf of a double hinge,

springs on each of said double hinges to allow the channels at the side of the covers to follow after the arc, as defined by the connection of the rear of said cover to the aforementioned side levers.

4. A top cover for kitchen ranges, the top cover provided with an inturned flange on its side, a roller within each flange, the roller being secured on a spindle, so as to turn freely, a spindle carrying member being hinged to a strap so as to swing through an arc, the strap of said spindle carrying member hinged at the bottom to the rear sheet of the range, and carryingsaid rollers and hinges, and said strap being pressed against the rear sheet of the range by means of a'spring, so that when said cover is down and its rear portion is secured behind the range, the spring, which holds the strap snugly to the rear sheet, also holds the said top cover snugly to the rear of the range, so that the cover is taut in its down position.

5. A roller mechanism comprising a frame, a roller, a plurality of springs and hinges and a strap comprising the frame, the said hinges being welded to said strap, a spindle, said roller freely mounted on said spindle, said spindle secured to the hinged member so as to swing the roller being under spring tension, the hinged member being secured to the strap or roller frame, one of said hinges welded to said strap and bolted to the rear sheet of the range, said strap being held against the rear sheet of the range, to which the roller mechanism is attached by a second spring, a top cover, said roller mechanism being positioned in the rear of said cover, said mechanism being duplicated on each side of said top cover and so positioned as to hold the flange of the top cover away from the top sheet of the range, the roller frame hinged to the rear sheet, and so positioned and held as to hold the cover snugly against the rear sheet by means of said springs when the top cover is in its vertical position.

6. An adjustable top cover for kitchen ranges, the movement of which isscontrolled by side levers connected to the rear. of the cover, the said side levers being connected together by a cross rod within the range, the said cross rod of the levers are in unison..

positioned on the body of the range, springs positioned on said range, said top being completely counter-balanced by said springs in all of its positions so as to prevent it from falling to either its open or closed position.

JAMES JOSEPH LAUTZ. 

